Companies that need to deliver merchandise know how important it is to have a supplier that is a true partner and help on a day-to-day basis. However, how can we know if the shipping company we are working with is the right one? What should we look at in order to know if it is really adding value to us? In this week’s article we are going to give you some clues so that you can pull the thread and find the answer in your case.
Seven points to look at in your shipping company
1.- Is it proactive and does it give you ideas to improve?
A good shipping company will worry about improving your shipments. This implies knowing and understanding your business, what are its peculiarities when it comes to talking about transport and what is important or, on the contrary, is more trivial. And to the extent that he does this, he will be able to give you advice that improves your logistics. Do you need to group shipments? Is it convenient for you to use a more urgent shipping service or would it be worth it with a cheaper one? Can you ship your packages on a single pallet? Is the use of the pallet convenient for you due to the fragility of the merchandise, even in cases where it could be more expensive?
If your shipping company is limited to picking up orders and dispatching them, it may be time to change.
2.- Would you feel comfortable if your shipping company was your face to the customer?
If this seems like a strange question to you, realize that your shipping company is going to play that role in every single delivery it makes to your customers. The importance of delivery is increasing when the customer values the shopping experience he has had, so you should not underestimate this factor. A product may be the best in the world in its category, but delivering it late, causing inconvenience to the customer or with a breakage can ruin the customer’s impression of it.
3.- Do you know how good they are?
This may also seem like a weird question, especially when we’re already trying to answer what should I look out for with my shipping company. But, contrary to what it may seem, it is not obvious. The use of metrics and management indicators can help you get out of the field of opinion -which in the world of transport can often be unfairly influenced by the most recent events, especially in the case of incidents-.
If you have not yet done so, go ahead and measure – and ask your logistics provider to provide you with the data – the quality of your deliveries, the correct preparation of shipments, the number of breakages, etc. The supply chain is an ideal place to establish metrics. You will instantly notice the change when deciding guided by impressions or hand in hand with the certainty of numbers.
4.- Should I outsource my transport or logistics services?
This is, in fact, the first question that companies ask themselves, although sometimes they are not even aware of asking it. Although the vast majority of companies outsource some part of the logistics -95% of the Fortune 500 do so according to Forbes magazine-, the key is usually which parts of the logistics to trust the logistics provider and which are more efficient to do on our own .
Many companies, however, are not correct when it comes to knowing when they are being effective in their shipments or in the rest of their logistics. Often the problem comes from the difficulty to correctly understand all the expenses associated with the facilities, machinery, personnel and/or the fleet that are needed. Having both the volumes and the experience and knowledge necessary to be efficient is not easy for companies, whose differential character usually lies in their product and not in its logistics.
5.- Scalability
At Transgesa we like to see ourselves walking hand in hand with the client in their growth and evolution. That means being able to help you with your new logistics needs, offering an extensive portfolio of services. If you notice that when you have a new need, or simply your volumes grow, your shipping company finds it difficult to grow with you, you may be facing a problem that you must solve sooner or later.
6.- Tranquility and confidence
We just talked about the importance of data, but now we want to cover a part that responds more to perception and feelings. Simply put, when you entrust your merchandise to your shipping company, do you feel a sense of relief because you know it is in good hands or, on the contrary, do you feel that the merchandise is already out of your control and that you have to entrust it to yourself? good luck with shipping?
Working with a quality logistics operator has, among others, the advantage of peace of mind. Being able to focus on your product and knowing that once you have finished your part and between the shipping company things will be done correctly is something very valuable, although it is impossible to quantify.
7.- Customer service
The quality of customer service is another factor that makes a difference in companies, not only in logistics. Customer service not only occurs when there are incidents, but it can also be related to moments in which the customer needs additional information, whether it is about the status of the shipment, about possible transit times, etc.
Whether you are a large client or a small one, customer service is inexcusable. Companies are not going to treat customers of all sizes equally (for example, in the preparation of rates), but that can never translate into poor customer service. If you have ever felt that you are treated “like a small customer” it is that something is wrong.
There are many more aspects that can help you know if you have found the right shipping company, but these seven points will be a good starting point to verify it.
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